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Fastlane is a yearly WWE Pay-Per-View that most fans take for granted, given the fact that it is usually the least eventful out of Elimination Chamber, Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
To its credit, this year's Fastlane left the fans with a lot of talking points, and it also featured a few unexpected moments.
The show was not perfect from start to finish and it also had several faults, but it does leave us with some questions that are worth breaking down as the next few weeks pass us by.
With that being said, here are a few interesting observations from the 2019 Fastlane Pay-Per-View...
#3. Why Shane McMahon probably turned heel
Shane McMahon is the heel, and Miz is the babyface this time around. Both of these men have been bitter foes and better allies throughout the course of the past couple of years, but WWE Fastlane 2019 was where things finally escalated for the better.
By now, it is clear that Shane McMahon's character only hid his disappointments and true feelings when it came to teaming up with The Miz. Maybe, The Miz had let him down far too many times to a point where McMahon had to let his frustrations out.
He also avoided a question backstage in true heel fashion, which suggests that Shane would not be apologizing anytime soon. Instead, it would only make sense for him to continue on this egoistic journey from a character standpoint.
For the McMahons, pride always comes first, and if last night's Pay-Per-View was any indication, then The Miz and Shane McMahon are set to clash against each other at WrestleMania 35. Whose side are you on? Sound off in the comments section below.
#2. The major conflict in the Kofi Kingston saga worked to his benefit (ironically)
At Fastlane 2019, the creative team pulled off the good old "conflict card" to add more depth to their storylines while also leaving fans frustrated at the same time.
Usually, this "conflict card" sets up an anticipated redemption story for the future, and Kofi Kingston seems to be on that path so far.
Mustafa Ali replaced Kingston in an impromptu Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship last night, and 'replaced' might not be the perfect word to summarize the situation completely. It felt like Vince McMahon was going to swerve everyone right from the moment Kofi came over to his office at the very beginning of last night's Pay Per View.
As expected, fans were left frustrated when Kofi was instead put in a handicap match, and even though the Triple Threat WWE Championship match was pretty great in its own right, the overall consensus seems to be that the WWE Universe was unsatisfied with Kofi's booking last night.
It is important to note that this sense of 'frustration' is necessary to set the stage for Kofi's redemption moment, which will be earned after he is put through each and every obstacle before (possibly) WrestleMania 35.
In the end, these frustrations are all part of a larger narrative at play, which most definitely requires some sort of closure for Kofi Kingston to work...
#1. The Shield's 'last time ever' moment closes old doors and opens new ones at the same time
Seth Rollins is supposed to face (and somehow conquer) the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35. New opportunities await Roman Reigns at the Grandest Stage of Them All, while Dean Ambrose will bid farewell to the WWE soon enough in order to try his luck in other wrestling promotions (AEW?).
Last night's Six-Man Tag Main Event might have closed doors for The Shield as one collective unit, but it also opens new ones for Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose as individual stars.
Seth Rollins' future is set in stone, as mentioned above. Roman Reigns' future would probably make an interesting speculation session. However, it is Dean Ambrose's future that intrigues me the most.
The very fact that WWE has publicly acknowledged his decision to leave the company (also thanks to Michael Cole's constant reminder last night) raises some doubt. Is this all leading up to another storyline?
Even if Ambrose does leave the company as expected, it will be interesting to find out as to where his wrestling career takes him next. What are your thoughts on the future of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns?
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